Gaussian lenses are known for photographic use, in that they have a sufficiently long back focal length and provide excellent optical performance. Their typical structure is described in Japanese Patent Publication No. S62-87922 and Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. H8-160293. Recently there has been an increased demand for monitor cameras that have a low FNO of 1.4 and are compact.
There have been attempts to use the Gaussian lens systems disclosed in the publications mentioned above in monitor cameras. However, the Gaussian lens system described in Japanese Patent Publication No. S62-87922 does not have its aberrations sufficiently corrected and it does not provide a sufficiently bright image, in that its FNO is 1.85. Although the Gaussian lens system described in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. H8-160293 provides a sufficiently bright image, this Gaussian lens has six components formed of seven lens elements. Thus, there is a need for a lens system that is more compact.
The object of the present invention is to provide a compact Gaussian lens having an FNO of 1.44 or less, an image angle of 23.8 degrees or more, and wherein the various aberrations are favorably corrected. More specifically, the present invention relates to Gaussian lenses that may be mounted in monitor cameras.